Thursday, August 18, 2011

Coloring Outside the Different Lines

We've had a little break from the intense heat this week -- and with it, the rain came! We've really needed rain ... and we got plenty of it this time. There's been a good bit of flooding, and lots of power outages in the area, but we are safe and sound and (ahem) staying out of trouble.

I've been busily knitting Veera Välimäk's "Different Lines" shawl, and I'm lovin' it. I always think her shawl patterns are exceptional - very contemporary and graphic, not at all like "fusty grandmother" shawls. You can find her patterns through Ravelry, so to learn more, treat yourself to a peek at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/veera-valimaki.

Her original design for this shawl was in two colors. As usual, I'm "coloring outside the (different) lines," so I'm using four colors and switching it up a bit.

Here's a pic of my work-in-progress, using one of my faves, Madelinetosh merino light yarn. For this one, I picked jade, thyme, and antler, with the skinny stipes in hearth. I think jade and thyme are really interesting together - there's a tension between these two shades of green. Jade definitely incorporates some yellow in the colorway, so it's kind of "warm." (That's the top right color in this photo.) Meanwhile, Thyme leans toward the "cool" greys. In general, I don't think they go together all that well -- but for colorwork, or a striped project like this, I find it a very interesting pairing.

So nice of you to drop by!

I'm a sewist/knitter/crafter/feltmaker who thoroughly enjoys her lifelong love affair with color and texture.

My tastes are eclectic -- I've always been inspired by vintage and retro textiles, but am equally smitten with cutting-edge contemporary design. From the whimsical and amusing to the "sensible and clever," I love combining new and repurposed materials in new (and quite possibly eccentric) ways!

This blog will be a place to explore textile art projects, recipes, or whatever else is percolating in my head. I promise not to be too scary!